Book #53 - My Sister's Keeper

My Sister's Keeper
Jodi Picoult

Listened to the Audio Version

Blurb: Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. (From Goodreads)

Length: Long - 423 pages; audio version 13 hours, 37 minutes

Notes: I don't even know what to say about this book. I can't decide if I loved it or if I hated it. It's one of those books that really makes you think, though, that's for sure. It makes you think of what you would do if you were in that situation - as the child or as the adult.

Let's start with the bad. It was downright depressing. I can't tell you how many times I put in the cd to listen to, and I immediately just wanted to cry. The whole subject matter is sad, and of course, being a mother, the thought kept coming to my mind of what I would do if I found out my daughter had cancer. And how far I would go to save her. The language was also pretty bad. I had Abbi in the car with me one time, and I quickly learned that it is not appropriate at all for little impressionable ears.

What I liked: the story was really compelling, and it kept me guessing up until the end. I had no idea that the ending was going to happen. It was one of those books that makes you think, and I think that is a really good thing. I'm sure that it is a situation that a family out there has had to deal with before, and I just pray that I'm never that family.

There is so much more I want to write about this, but I don't want to be a spoiler if someone was wanting to read this but hasn't yet. But if I was in a book group, I think this book would get a lot of discussion!

Random quote : "Life sometimes gets so bogged down in the details, you forget you are living it. There is always another appointment to be met, another bill to pay, another symptom presenting, another uneventful day to be notched onto the wooden wall. We have synchronized our watches, studied our calendars, existed in minutes, and completely forgotten to step back and see what we've accomplished."

Recommend: yes and no. Yes, because I liked the book in general, but I feel like I can't totally recommend it because of the language.

Have you read this book? Share your feelings!